


Seize the Moment

by ToothPasteCanyon (DannyFenton123)



Series: Transcendence AU [3]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Transcendence (Gravity Falls), Bodyswap, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 06:59:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18987598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DannyFenton123/pseuds/ToothPasteCanyon
Summary: The Electron Carpet's finally getting thrown out. Acacia and the other triplets are determined to mess around with it first.Based off this prompt requested by Colte123 in the TAU Fic Requests Spreadsheet: 'While cleaning the attic, the triplets find a carpet labeled experiment 78 and despite Dipper's warnings the triplets fool around with it anyways.'





	Seize the Moment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Colte123](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Colte123/gifts).



> Potentially triggering content - scroll to endnotes for further details.

                Alcor found it in the attic. As soon as he unrolled it, he groaned.

                “Grunkle Stan? Grunkle Stan!”

                There came a muffled. “What?”

                “Why do we still have the electron carpet?”

                “The what?”

                 “The electron carpet, the body swapping one in Ford’s old room? I thought you threw it out!”

                 Silence. Then: “…What?”

                With a long-suffering sigh, Dipper blipped downstairs with the carpet in his arms. He appeared between Stan and the TV, and held it out to him.

                 “Oh, that old thing.” Stan rubbed his ear. “I put it in the, uh, attic.”

                “Yeah, I know – that’s where I found it. Why?”

                “Why what?”

                “Why’d you leave it there? I thought you were going to get rid of it!”

                Stan considered the question for a moment. Then he shrugged, and sat back in his chair. “Meh.”

                “Meh? Stan, we can’t have this in the house! It’s far too dangerous, you were supposed to…”

                 Alcor trailed off midsentence. His eyes switched to gold-on-black, and he stared off into the middle distance. Stan quirked an eyebrow.

                 “Summons, kid? Hey, kid? Dipper?”

                 “What? Oh, yeah, I-I gotta go… now.” He propped the carpet against the TV and managed a glare. “I’m destroying this when I get back. Don’t let anyone touch it until then, okay?”

                 “Yeah, yeah, no touch. I got it.”

                Dipper may have said “Good”, but the air _twisted_ and pulled him out of existence before he could finish.

Stan grunted at that. He put the remote down and stared at the rolled-up carpet.

                “Poor kid.” He muttered, and stood up. Brushed some crumbs off his shirt. “Y’know, I should make this easier for him.”

                He picked up the carpet, moved it off the TV, and set it against the wall leading to the kitchen.

                “There.” He grinned. “A little closer to the dumpster now. You’re welcome, Dipper.”

                With that, Stan sat back down in his chair and tuned into the latest episode of _The Duchess Approves_ , completely unaware that someone had been listening.

                Three someones, to be exact. Playing in their bedroom between the attic and the living room, Acacia, Hank and Willow heard Dipper shout about a body swapping carpet and were now crowded around their door, ears pressed against a thin opening. Once Uncle Dipper’s voice faded out, Acacia turned to her siblings with a grin so mischievous it was almost evil.

                Hank crossed his arms. “I know there’s no talking you out of this, but just for the record, I think this is a bad idea.”

                “Bad, schmad. This is a _body swapping_ carpet and Uncle Dipper’s about to throw it out! Carp hates diamond, bro! Seize the moment!”

                “Carp hates dia- carpe diem?”

                “Doesn’t sound right but sure, car parts demon, whatever. That was not the important part of my sentence!”

                “Yeah!” Willow rubbed her hands together; flame danced from her fingertips. “You think if you swapped bodies with me, you’d get my fire?”

                “Oh. My. Stars. We have to test this – for science!” She grabbed Willow’s shoulder and the two of them raced down the hallway. “Come on, Hank!”

                “Carpe diem. And technically it means seize the day, not seize the- okay, nobody cares. Cool.” He trailed along behind them. “I’m coming!”

                They tumbled down the stairs, laughing and shouting all the way up to the doorway. Stan was watching television with his back to them; Acacia frowned at that, then turned around and shushed her siblings.

                “I think he’s sleeping in there, guys! We’ve got to be quiet!”

                Hank’s eyebrows drooped. “Like you’re being?”

                “Shhhh!”

                “Don’t worry,” Willow said. “He’s not gonna wake up. He’s really asleep right now.”

                “How do you know?”

                “His thoughts – they feel very… slow.” She frowned. “Also it’s his after-work nap, and _nothing_ wakes him up from that. Remember when Uncle Dipper came back from a summons with that weird screaming stone-“

                “And people across town could hear it but he didn’t even stop snoring?” Acacia chucked. “Heh… can still hear the ringing. That was fun; I wish we still had that thing.”

                “Wasn’t it called ‘The Eternal Shriek’?”

                “Yeah, and it was _awesome_! And speaking of awesome things that are about to go away forever…” She pointed at a rolled up blue rug on the other end of the room. “That looks like our body switching carpet!”

                Acacia ran over, and skidded to a halt right in front of it. It loomed over her, a good two or three times her height; almost reverently, she reached out a hand and touched its shaggy blue fabric. It was softer than she expected – she brushed a hand down it and giggled at a static shock.

                “This feels cool!” Acacia buried her face in it. “I want this in my room, it’s like the fluffiest thing ever!”

                Willow giggled. “Your hair’s all standing on end.”

                “Yeah, it’s super static-y too. Like a balloon – come feel it! Hank, you too!”

                With a sigh, he trudged over and put a hand to it, but Willow hung back. “This is the bodyswapping carpet, right?” She frowned. “And it’s called the electron carpet?”

                Hank looked at the tag. “Or ‘Experiment 78.’”

                "Hah! Sounds real nerdy."

                “Well, then, it switches bodies somehow, right? What if it does that by-“

                Acacia nudged Hank, and there was a flash. The two of them were pushed to the floor; Hank landed face first, and groaned when he sat up, rubbing his nose.

                Willow was at his side in an instant. “Whoa, are you okay?”

                “Yeah… I think I’m alright.” He sniffed, then looked up and smiled at her in a way that was… a bit too open for Hank’s face. “Now that was a rush! I wanna do that again!”

                “Ugh, Acacia,” said Acacia, sitting up and rubbing her head. “What did you do?”

                Willow blinked. “Um-“

                “I have no idea! Let’s try again, br- bro?“ Hank’s eyes locked onto Acacia, and went wide. “Hank?”

                “What?” Hank, in Acacia’s body, looked up and saw himself staring back at him. He blinked, once, and Willow thought it was strange to see his carefully blank expression on Acacia’s face as he tried to process what was going on. Then it seemed to _click_ , and he frowned.

                “Oh, this is weird. We switched bodies, didn’t we?”

                “I think we did! That’s… awesome! How’d that even happen?”

                “Static electricity." Willow grinned to herself. "I was right. Somehow, it must be able to build up a charge powerful enough to switch minds.”

                “No kidding… haha, look at me! I’m Hank!” Acacia stood up, and stumbled a little on unfamiliar legs. “Whoa, I’m taller. Can I…? Oh my stars, I can touch the ceiling!”

                “Yeah, I, uh, can’t do that in your body.” Hank wrinkled his nose. “Your body. This is getting kinda weird for me.”

                “Only weird if you make it weird!” She chirped, and then froze. She moved a hand up to her chin. “Wait a minute – I’ve got peach fuzz!”

                “Peach fuzz? I mean, it’s a little longer than peach fuzz-“

                “It’s so cute, and tiny, and fuzzy! Willow, you gotta feel this!”

                She blinked. “You want me to feel your chin?”

                “No, I want you to feel Hank’s chin. Or wait! No, no, no, you gotta switch with me!”  She pranced over to the electron carpet and stroked it with a hand. “Come on, you gotta try this! It’s super fun!”

                Willow hesitated, and glanced at Hank. He was looking down, busy examining his new hands, but he seemed to notice her questioning stare and gave a shrug. “It is kinda interesting,” he said. “I’d try it.”

                “Heck yeah, let’s go! Let’s get flame powers!”

                With a snort, Willow wandered over and touched the carpet. It really was soft, and static already started to crackle around her fingertips. “Alright,” she said. “Let’s do this.”

                Acacia extended her pointer finger, and poked Willow’s nose. “Boop!”

                A flash. One minute she was standing next to Acacia, the next…

                “You okay?”

                Acacia’s face was looming over her. Acacia’s face… but it was wearing Hank’s worried frown. Willow nodded at him.

                “Need help getting up?”

                She took his offered hand- and almost pulled him down onto her. Hank yelped, and regained his footing with a chuckle.

                “Heh, you’re a bit heavier than me now.” He said, and she blinked. Looked down at her hands… and saw Hank’s hands in their place. She clenched her hands, and watched Hank’s fingers ball into fists.

                Oh, this _was_ weird.

                She sat up, and she couldn’t shake that feeling of _differentness_. Up until that moment, Willow had been in one body for her entire life; now that she was in another, all the ways she’d never even considered about how her body worked had been subtly changed, and now things she’d taken for granted stuck out to her like a sore thumb.

                Sore thumb. Hank had shut his right one in a door last week, and it still throbbed a little. The way he felt pain… she couldn’t tell how it was different beyond that it _was_ different. She sat up, and the weight of her arms, her shoulders, the way her back carried them – it felt alien. And her vision… the perspective had been ever so slightly altered, and even without standing she could tell she was taller than before, taller than _she should be_. Her hair was different, her clothes were different, her tongue sat differently in an unfamiliar mouth, and brushed up against teeth so strange they didn’t feel like teeth at all.

                She put a hand to her chest. Even the very beat of her heart was not the same as it had been before. It made her shudder; she didn’t know if she was going to like this.

                Willow tested her vocal chords with a little grunt. Then she opened her weird mouth, and asked, “Wh… where’s Acacia?”

                _Not her voice_. She watched Hank start to reply, but there came a noise from behind him.

                “Aww!” Moaned a voice – _Willow’s voice_ , much louder than it was normally used. “No flame powers? What gives?”

                Willow caught sight of her own body, bending its knees, pointing its palms at the nearest wall. Its face was wearing Acacia’s look of absolute concentration – she always stuck her tongue out and crossed her eyes a bit – and those two utterly familiar things became utterly alien now that they were combined together.

                She didn’t like this. No, no, she didn’t like this _one bit_ …

                “Darn, no fire.” Acacia twisted Willow’s face into a disappointed sigh. “Hey, Willow, can you-“

                “Can we switch back?”

                Her words came abruptly. She looked down when Acacia glanced her way; she couldn’t watch her own face staring back at her like that.

                “Switch back? Already?”

                “Yes, we have to switch back right now!”

                “What's-“

                “ _Please_ , Acacia.” The panic was rising like bile in her throat. “I really, _really_ don’t like this, we have to switch back right now, this isn't r-right, I-I can't-!“

                “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Acacia caught her shoulder. “Deep breaths, Willow. We’ll switch back right now, okay?”

                Not-her heart was pounding against not-her chest – _stars_ , even the sound of blood rushing past ears was _different_ _and wrong_ … she let Acacia lead her back to the carpet, she felt its softness against not-her arm, then…

                _A flash_.

                And she was back in her own body. Her own, wonderful, familiar body…

                But it still wasn’t okay again. All the little things about herself she’d been made aware of, the weight of her body, the way her muscles slid against her bones, the arrangement of her organs – she’d been made aware, and now they felt alien in a different way, and _still her teeth didn’t feel like teeth_ …

                With trembling hands, Willow found her knees, _her knees_ , and wrapped herself into the tightest, tiniest ball of herself she could manage.

                Herself.

                Herself?

                What was ‘herself’? Where did ‘herself’ stop and her body begin? They were questions without answers she could bear, and Willow sobbed into arms that were bone and muscle and tendon, terrified, _terrified,_ that she’d broken something deep inside herself.

                ‘Herself.’ Whatever that meant anymore.

 

* * *

 

                Willow cried for a while. She didn’t know how long, but somewhere along the line her teeth had become familiar again – she could run her tongue across the back of them without a shudder. When she moved, she could do so without being aware of muscles pulling on ligaments pulling on bone; she could still feel it, if she focused, but by and large the inner workings of her body had faded into the background once more, and her mind was much calmer for it.

                That was where they belonged, she thought with a sniff. Faded too were the looming questions they had brought with them; she could still think of them, but they’d lost their panic, their urgency. They were just questions.

                They were just questions, and Willow felt... okay again? She didn’t feel like she’d broken herself anymore, so that was a step up.

                Now where to go from here? Where was she, anyway?

                She was sitting on some kind of table. Her head was hidden in her arms, and her elbows were kinda sore from the hard surface.

                Willow opened her eyes, and she saw wood. Was this the kitchen table? She shifted her arm and winced at the bristle of splinters; yup, this was that old table.

                There were voices overhead – Hank’s voice, talking quietly. The guilt in it… her heart dropped as she remembered how she’d left them.

                “I just thought it was gonna be fun,” he was saying… no, wait, was Acacia still in his body? It sounded more like her. “Cool magic stuff is cool, y’know? And it was getting thrown away anyway… I just thought it was gonna be fun, I didn’t ever think it was gonna-“

                “Kid, kid, it’s okay.” That was Grunkle Stan’s gravelly voice. “I know you wouldn’t’ve ever done it to hurt her.”

                “But… ugh, I’m such an idiot. Uncle Dipper even said it was dangerous, but I had to go _poking around anyway_ -“

                “Hey, hey, don’t beat yourself up about it. You know, this is way more my fault than yours. I was the one who kept the damn thing in the attic for years – any day I coulda gotten off my lazy butt and thrown it out, but I didn’t.” He sighed. “I dunno, I guess didn’t think it was that dangerous. Loads of people used it and they turned out fine. Hell, Soos says he got himself switched with a pig once – a pig! How dangerous could it really be, right! Jeez, I’m such a-”

                “You’re not. You couldn’t have known it’d do this, Grunkle Stan.”

                He grunted. “Then neither could you, Acacia.”

                Acacia made an uncertain noise, and Hank – Hank with Acacia’s voice, that is – spoke up.

                “Yeah. It’s not your fault.”

                “Oh, yeah? Well… thanks.” Her voice dropped to a mutter. “I bet you’re dying to say you told me so, aren’t you.”

                “No, of course not.”

                “Hm. Well you’re a better me than me, then.”

                “Kid, just… try to take your mind off it, okay?” Grunkle Stan sounded so worn out. “Dipper’ll be back soon; he’ll sort your sister out. In the meantime, you want… I dunno, I think there’s still a packet of hot coco in the pantry. Or what about some good ol’ mindless TV? You wanna put on an episode of _Ducktective_ while we wait?”

                Stan and Hank and Willow waited, but Acacia didn’t say a single word. Willow could almost see her sullen expression right now, the moody, tight-lipped glare into space she always put on when she was feeling guilty.

                Willow felt an awful twinge in her stomach; she hated awkward moments, and popping her head up right now was going to be down there with the worst of them… but she was fine, she had to let them know, let Acacia know.

                “Acacia? What do you say?”

                A deep breath – in… and out, and with the out Willow lifted up. First she squinted at the light; her eyes weren’t adjusted at all. Then she jumped at the sound.

                Three voices once, all shouting, “ _WILLOW_!”

                “You’re awake!”

                “How’re you feeling?”

                “Hey, kids, kids, give her some space!”

                “It’s okay, Grunkle Stan.” Willow managed a smile at him. “I’m fine.”

                He raised an eyebrow, but couldn’t contain the relief flooding though his voice. “Fine, huh. That’s hard to… uh, well, glad you’re okay.”

                “Willow!” Acacia wrapped her in a bonecrushing hug. “Ohhh my stars, dude, don’t scare me like that!”

                She hugged her right back. “I know. I’m sorry.”

                “Pfft. What are you sorry for?”

                “What happened?” Hank was there too; he seemed to catch himself on something, and added: “Oh, I’m, uh, still Hank, by the way. We haven’t switched back yet.”

                “And I’m Acacia. Yeah, we gotta remember to do that- but Willow?”

                Willow looked at her, and saw the way her smile struggled to stay on her face. It made her cringe.

                “What… what happened?” A very, very stale laugh. “You, uh, you sorta freaked out on us back there, haha! Are you, are you okay?”

                “I’m… fine.” Willow looked away, and felt first Acacia’s arm wrap around her shoulder, then Hank’s. They squeezed her tight, and she sighed. “I don’t know what to say. You’re right, I just sorta freaked out about the whole bodyswitching thing. I’m sorry.”

                “Sorry? Don’t be sorry, sis-”

                “I don’t know what came over me.” She hung her head. “I don’t know why I couldn’t handle it; I just… it felt so _wrong_. Like I was _aware_ of all the stuff that was different, and I couldn’t get away from it, I couldn’t get away from the body I was in, I just… you don’t get that?”

                Acacia and Hank looked at each other. They shrugged.

                “It felt a little weird at first, I guess?” Hank said. “Like just being aware of everything, I get that. But it didn’t feel like a bad thing, and by now it’s pretty much back to normal.”

                Acacia snickered. “It’s gonna be weird when we switch back. I’m gonna miss being this tall.”

                Willow tried to laugh, but it petered out in a sigh. “Yeah… I don’t know why it was so bad for me. It’s silly, I’m sorry for scaring you guys-“

                “It’s not silly.”

                “Well, it’s kinda-“

                “It’s not silly.” Acacia gripped her tighter. “Look, dude, you sounded _super_ freaked about the body switching thing. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sound like that before. And if it freaks you out it freaks you out – it’s fine, okay? You don’t have to explain it, you don’t have to have a reason, _it’s fine_.” She looked away. “I’m just sorry I roped you into it in the first place.”

                “No, don’t be. You didn’t know I was going to freak out – I didn’t know either!”

                “Yeah, but, I dunno.” She gave a shrug. “I should listen more when Uncle Dipper says stuff is dangerous.”

                Willow hesitated, then she turned and wrapped her up in a hug. Acacia returned it – carefully at first, but then she squeezed tight, burying her head into Willow’s shoulder. And if Willow’s shirt got a bit wet shortly after that, she didn’t say a word.

                Acacia’s voice. “I’m really glad you’re okay,” she murmured, right in her ear. Willow smiled.

                “I’m really glad you’re my sister.” She felt Acacia shudder, and continued. “Thank you. For understanding.”

                “Yeah, well…” A little chuckle. “You better be glad I’m your sister, cause I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me forever.”

                “Oh, no. Whatever shall I do.”

                They both laughed at that, and pulled back. Grunkle Stan put a hand on Acacia’s shoulder, and the conversation steered to something a bit more lighthearted, something about _Ducktective_. Willow wasn’t following it too closely; she was looking down at her hands, clenching them, relaxing them, feeling them _move_ under her skin with that new, unsettling awareness of hers.

                Where did her true self begin, she wondered. She closed her fist again… and when she opened it, she let a little blue flame dance across her palm, flickering to the beat of her own heart. A little part of her soul, yet just as much a part of her body as the skin it floated on.

                Willow smiled. It felt like a silly question now.

                “ _Grunkle Stan_!”

                A shout from the living room. Four heads turned and watched Dipper come marching into the room.

                “Hey, Dipper! You were gone ages, I gotta-“

                “Why weren’t you watching the rug? I told you to keep it safe!”

                Grunkle Stan gave a nervous chuckle. “About that-“

                “Just wanted you to throw it out, then I wanted you to watch it, then… ugh.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Whatever, it’s taken care of now, so it doesn’t matter.”

                Silence. Willow watched Acacia and Hank exchange glances.

                “Taken care of?” Acacia started slowly. “What do you mean by that?”

                “Huh? Oh, it was this magical rug – been a pain in my neck, I’m so glad I finally got rid of it.”

                Hank blinked. “Got… rid of it? Can you bring it back?”

                “No, Acacia, I already destroyed it. I burned it up, cut it into a thousand pieces and scattered them across the Mindscape.” He rubbed his forehead. “I’m so glad it’s finally gone, and for once it's  _before_ anything bad happened.”

                In the absolute silence that followed, Alcor paused. He took his hand away from his face, and frowned at the four of them.

                “Nothing bad happened, right? Stan?”

                Stan put on his best smile. “Uh… well, look on the bright side - it could be worse! Only two of them are switched right now, so-”

                "Ohhhh, my stars."

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warning for themes of dissociation, non-graphic body horror.


End file.
